Lent Madness 2018 has officially begun! After months of soul-aching anticipation, “Ash 
Thursday” has arrived. Over the next (more or less) 40 days and 40 nights, you will have the opportunity to re-immortalize one of our 32 competing saints with the coveted Golden Halo.
Today we see two heavyweights facing off in the Apostolic Rumble. Will we rob Peter to pay Paul or will Paul get robbed to pay Peter? That, dear friends, is up to you and your single (we mean that and we have spies everywhere) vote.
If you’re new to Lent Madness, welcome! If you have any questions about how to participate, just let us know by leaving a comment. The Lent Madness community is both friendly and helpful, often answering questions before the Supreme Executive Committee arrives in their grand purple, if imaginary, chariot. You can view and/or print out the full bracket of saints by clicking here.
We urge you to take full part in the Madness. Leave comments here on the website. Read what others have to say. Enjoy the friendly rivalry and trash talk on social media. Do additional research. During the day, check in on the website often to see how each day’s contest is going. And above all, delight in seeing how each saint was a powerful witness of Jesus Christ.
Be sure to sign up for e-mail updates on our home page (upper right corner) so you never miss a vote, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and encourage your friends to jump into the fray.
We can assure you this will be a wild, joyful, educational, ocassionally gut-wrenching ride. We’re delighted to share this journey with you. Let the Madness begin!
Peter
The disciple who makes us all feel better about our failures, Saint Peter was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus. Peter is traditionally considered the first bishop of Rome—or pope—having been ordained by Jesus who dubs him the “rock of the church.” Originally, Peter was named Simeon, often simplified to Simon in modern English. Peter was married and originally worked as a fisherman with his brother, Andrew. In fact, Andrew introduced Peter to Jesus and gave him the name Cephas (Peter), which means rock.
Peter was a leader among the disciples and witnessed events seen by only a few apostles, such as the Transfiguration and the raising of Jairus’s daughter. According to the gospels, Peter confessed Jesus as the Messiah, then denied knowing Jesus three times under threat of arrest, and then felt shame and remorse over his betrayal. After Easter, Jesus forgave him his failure and implored Peter to “feed my sheep.”
At the start of the Acts of the Apostles, Peter emerges as an effective leader of the early church. He preached with authority at Pentecost, began to work miracles, and participated in the council at Jerusalem. Historical witnesses confirm his later presence in Rome, although they do not verify the legendary story of his martyrdom. According to this tradition, under Emperor Nero, Peter was crucified upside down. He requested this unusual method of execution out of humility, not wanting to be killed in the same manner as Jesus. Hence, in Christian symbology, Peter is often represented by an upside-down cross, along with the keys to God’s kingdom. The Vatican claims Peter’s remains are housed beneath Saint Peter’s Basilica.
St. Peter’s feast day is June 29, and he is the patron of fishermen, net makers, and shipbuilders.
Collect for Peter
Almighty Father, who inspired Simon Peter, first among the apostles, to confess Jesus as Messiah and Son of the living God: Keep your Church steadfast upon the rock of this faith, so that in unity and peace we may proclaim the one truth and follow the one Lord, our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Paul
Behind Jesus Christ himself, perhaps no person has shaped the face of Christianity more than Paul of Tarsus—the pharisaic persecutor of the church turned apostle and the primary writer for a majority of the New Testament.
Paul, as an ardent and educated Pharisee, was dedicated to what (at Jesus’ time) was a somewhat new belief—that the law given in Torah could be applied to everyday activities to sanctify the course of ordinary life. As such, Paul’s early interactions with followers of Jesus were as a persecutor, seeking to restore the norms of pharisaic dogma to the followers of the sect known as “The Way.” But Paul underwent a dramatic conversion experience along the Damascus road. He saw Jesus, who addressed him by his Hebrew name, asking “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” Blinded by this vision, Paul’s sight was restored by Ananias, and a transformative ministry began.
Paul’s message in his epistles speaks to the transformative power of God’s grace, revealed in Jesus, crucified and risen from the dead. Having experienced grace in his conversion, Paul argues that the grace of God is extended to all—Jew and Gentile alike. As he writes in the Epistle to the Galatians, social distinction must break down when all become part of the body of Christ: “There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.” As the Apostle to the Gentiles, he was at times in direct and fierce conflict with Peter; Paul argued with Peter for the inclusion of Gentiles in the table fellowship of the earliest church. Using the privileges Roman citizenship afforded him, Paul traveled widely to preach the gospel: His journeys took him across the Middle East, Asia Minor, and eventually to captivity in Rome. Paul died in Rome, still longing to travel to more communities with the good news of Jesus Christ.
Collect for Paul
O God, by the preaching of your apostle Paul you have caused the light of the Gospel to shine throughout the world: Grant, we pray, that we, having his wonderful conversion in remembrance, may show ourselves thankful to you by following his holy teaching; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
UPDATE: At 7:58 p.m. Eastern time, the SEC removed 254 votes from Paul. We found that someone in Little Rock, AR had voted for Paul repeatedly. This is a reminder that you should vote -- and tell your friends to vote -- but once only.
[poll id="205"]
496 comments on “Peter vs. Paul”
This was the hardest vote.... both being at the heart of our faith. I went with Peter only because he is my favorite saint as your writer put it precisely because he failed so before he got it right. Probably the story of most of our lives.... certainly mine.
Blessings
Len Freeman +
The very first match up and you didn’t make it easy! I voted for Peter beacause was so much like all of us, flawed, humble, sometimes arrogant sinners.
The very first match up and you didn’t make it easy! I voted for Peter beacause he was so much like all of us, flawed, humble, sometimes arrogant sinners. A very down to earth every day man who always kept trying to do better.
I have learned that not everything attributed to Paul was actually his work. He did so much to spread the teachings of Jesus. His actions were supportive of women, even though he purportedly spoke against them. But that may not have been authentic. Paul gets my vote.
THis was a difficult choice butI voted for Paul because he had had more influence within Christianity than Peter. Unfortunately we could not vote a tie.
Oliver, good to see you back! Today was a very tough vote but I had to go for Peter.
Peter changed his mind about inclusiveness. Remember his dream in Acts 10 about the "unclean animals".
I chose Paul today for including Gentiles at the table. By reaching across the table and welcoming others may we eat in peace together.
Glad to have you back, Oliver.
An idea for the SEC - It would me nice to have a widget or app that just shows the results so that we can keep up with them. Especially when the race is as close as today's!
All who go with Peter, because he knew Jesus, well Paul believed and didn't know him! Paul speaks to us all.... had to go with him.
I did not think of that thank you
I voted for Paul. While Peter had the good fortune to know the historical Jesus, Paul did not. Even so, he committed himself to the Jesus Movement when he became convinced of it, and had the saintly courage to speak boldly to authority and to insist on the inclusion of everyone without regard to status.
Paul argued with Peter about including Gentiles in their evangelist teachings. He fought for inclusivenes so I think he was ahead of his times!
Paul - man is this really close.
Christianity is very Pauline. The legacy of his evangelism lives on!
And he is hanging tough against 'the Rock'
Peter was my choice although I was torn between them both. But because Peter demonstrates how we can not always walk the ways but are subject to mistakes I voted for him.
All of the above about Peter and Paul. I voted for Paul because he is more inclusive, he emphasized grace, hope, and love, he was good at helping the churches order themselves (think Corinth), he tried to keep early Christians from going off the theological rails (think the Galatians, Romans--ok, all of his epistles), and think of how many times he was given a drubbing and jailed by those who found him offensive. Travel was not easy in those days either. He had a day job, too! Finally, I serve at a church named St. Paul's. Loyalty counts.
You said it Heather! Thank you. I agree wholeheartedly ❤️
I voted for Peter. As a second year EfMer, we are reading Paul's letters and he has annoyed me to no end.
Much of the nasty stuff attributed to Paul is actually redacted material added by others. He was pretty forward thinking and open for his day. Hopefully your EfM class goes over that.
I think the SEC sits around contemplating how to create maddening match-ups. Remember when they put the Wesley brothers against each other? Or the two Augustines?
I voted for Paul. We know Peter was Roman Catholic, so Paul was obviously Episcopalian!
why do we vote for the saint we don't want to vote for when we want to vote for the saint we want to win?
Come on people, vote for PAUL! Where would we be without his run on sentences and temptations of the flesh?
Sure, Peter made mistakes and couldn't quite grasp all that Jesus tried to tell him. But Paul had a conversion, was blind and could see what he had to do! What if he hadn't taken that trip to Damascus? What if we choose not to vote for him? What will we not see?
This is my first lent madness. I’m excited to participate.
I voted for Paul because of his inclusiveness. While I relate to Peter due to my failings and shortsightedness, Peter seemed to fail to grasp Jesus’ call to love everyone, including the gentiles. Paul seemed to grasp the broader scope of that redeeming love.
Dear SEC, this was not a nice thing for a couple of priests to do. Peter and Paul should not
be in the same year, let alone the same day. Where would the Church be without Peter and
Paul. I love them both. But chose I must. I will go with Peter simply because Jesus said that he
was the rock upon which I will build my Church and I don't want to start Lent arguing with
Jesus. Also it means a lot to me that Peter seems to be the unofficial Patron of all of us
screw ups. Paul also means so much to me, the way God worked with him to completely
change and spending his whole life bringing people to our Lord and vice versa. WOW
I sure wish I was a lot more like him.
Tim and Scott I hope you are kinder in the coming weeks. [ it is Lent]
Ahhh - this was a tough one!
The SEC are truly nefarious!
And we're off and running Will read the bios after voting this time because I am a Peter person from the get go. Go Peter!
I voted for Paul. His transformation gave him the grace to become the one who started Christianity. He also was adamant about inclusion of Jews and Gentiles.
The Madness begins like a jolt of espresso, black, no sugar, no cream. Love it!
I haven’t even gotten to the end of the comments yet, there are so many! I am definitely going with Paul. I used to be disturbed by what I thought of as Paul’s ant- woman bias but as I matured and read more widely, I came to appreciate the perspectives that many pro-Paul voters shared. Inclusivity and Love! Plus Peter was rather snotty about Mary Magdalene in some of the hidden writings.
I feel bad disagreeing with Oliver on the first day but I had to go with Paul this time as he is the first I know to declare we are ALL equal in God's eyes " he writes in the Epistle to the Galatians, social distinction must break down when all become part of the body of Christ: “There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus." Thanks for being back in our daily lives
I had to vote for Paul because I believe he was both Martyr and a saint. He lived as a Christian and was arrested and imprisoned more than once for doing God's work. I see Paul at work in our society today. Vote Paul!!!
Two other reasons to vote for Paul. My son's name is of course Paul and he was sent to Strait Street in Damascus